Let's Play A Game

♦️3♦️

9th period finally rolls around and I make my way towards the gym for P.E. "Are you Mr. Roy?" I ask a man with dark hair and pale green eyes. He looks at me and smiles.

"That's me, and you must be Devin. Welcome to Greenwood. I have your uniform for you and here's your lock. The combo is also printed on your schedule. Choose a locker that's not occupied and that's your locker for the year. We're starting volleyball in class today so get dressed and join us in the gym." I follow his instructions and place all of my belongings in an empty locker. After quickly changing, I sit down with the group of students and listen to the teacher explain what we're doing today. Apparently we're playing teams and we'll see how we do. If we have something we need to work on we'll practice it tomorrow.

The class splits into teams that are made of groups of friends, leaving me out, so I joined a random group.

"Hey, you must be the new girl, I'm Tori. Nice to meet you." She extends her hand so I shake it and smile. "Your name is Devin, right?"

"Correct, and I'm gonna be in your group." She laughs and we stand in our preferred positions and get ready to start the game. A blonde girl serves it from behind the court lines and it bounces for a few moments between sides until the ball is hit directly above the net near me. I take the opportunity to jump up and spike the ball to the wood floor. My team cheers and high fives me before we continue the game.

After about forty more minutes of the game my team wins the game 20-15. The teacher tells us to get back to the locker rooms and change to go home, but before I leave he comes up to me.

"You're really good Devin. I think you should try out for the volleyball team. Tryouts are in two weeks, I trust you'll be there?" he asks and I think about it for a minute before nodding.

"Sure, I'd love to try out for the team." Mr. Roy smiles and walks away while I turn towards the rooms to go change. Shortly after changing out of the uniform, the bell rings so I gather everything I have and walk to my locker.

"You were really good out there, you should try out for the team." a voice comes from behind me and I turn to see Tori and the blonde girl that was on my team from P.E.

"Oh, thanks and I am. Are you trying out too?" I ask and they both nod excitedly, Tori bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"And I'm Abby." the blonde sticks out her hand and I shake it.

"Devin; I'll see you tomorrow Abby and Tori." We walk with each other to the parking lot before heading our separate ways.

"Did you make some new friends?" Donny asks bumping my shoulder with his as soon as I get into the car.

"I hope so, they're really nice. The brunette is Tori and the other one is Abby." I reply smiling at him before he starts asking about my day. After I explain my day I finally get to the part about the volleyball team tryouts. "So today in P.E. we were playing volleyball and the teacher said that I'm really good and that I should try out for the team. Can I?" I question hopefully and he looks at me weirdly. For a minute I think he's going to say no but he surprises me.

"Of course you can Dev, that's great kid!" he exclaims grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I squeeze back smiling as we make our way home.

"Hey, do you think that we could go out tonight?" Donny looks at me and bites his lip.

"Devin the reason I enrolled you in school was to get you off of all of the crap that we were doing. You shouldn't have to live like that and honestly, I don't want to be like that. I want a normal life and I want to be normal." He rants and I gape up at him.

"What is with you lately? I thought that we'd still be able to have a little fun." Donny runs a hand through his hair and groans.

"Devin, no parties, no drinking, and..." He trails off as if it pains him to say it. And I already know what he's trying to say.